IPL 2021: Pat Cummins, Andre Russell heroics not enough as CSK make it three losses on the trot for KKR

Fighting half-centuries from Pat Cummins (66) and Andre Russell (54) were not enough for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat them by 18 runs in an IPL 2021 encounter at Mumbai. The loss – KKR’s third in as many games – left them languishing at sixth in the IPL 2021 points table. CSK, meanwhile, went top of the standings thanks to a superior net run rate (NRR) than Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The match, however, was closer than it had any right to be. CSK had posted a target in excess of 200. The ever-reliable Deepak Chahar then cleaned up KKR’s top-order. Shubman Gill (0), Nitish Rana (9), Eoin Morgan (7) and Sunil Narine (4) all perished.

Lungi Ngidi accounted for Rahul Tripathi (8) and KKR were 31-5 in 5.2 overs. To say that the result was a mere formality would be an understatement.

However, an 81-run stand for the sixth wicket between Dinesh Karthik (40) and Russell saw KKR fight back. Yet when Russell got himself bowled leaving a leg-side ball from Curran, it seemed the resistance was at an end.

Cummins to the rescue… almost

Those fears were all but confirmed when Karthik was LBW off a loopy full-toss from Ngidi. At 146-7, the match again seemed over.

Yet Cummins refused to give up. In the next over, he smacked Curran for four sixes and a boundary. 45 off 24 seemed gettable, but there was a caveat – Cummins was all but out of partners.

Kamlesh Nagarkoti holed out off the first ball he faced, prompting Cummins to hog the strike. Varun Chakravarthy played only the one ball and didn’t trouble the scorers. Same for Prasidh Krishna, whose run out on the first ball of the final over confirmed the result.

An absolute thriller here at The Wankhede as @ChennaiIPL clinch the game by 18 runs.

Scorecard – https://t.co/jhuUwnRXgL #VIVOIPL #KKRvCSK pic.twitter.com/vf9MfM4phz

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2021

Cummins looked exhausted at the end. Little wonder, since along with having to lead the bowling attack, he shouldered so much responsibility with the bat.

Gaikwad, Du Plessis steal the show

Earlier, half-centuries from Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad helped CSK score 220-3 vs KKR. Gaikwad (64) and Du Plessis (95) put together a 115-run opening stand on a batting-friendly Wankhede wicket.

CSK, who were used to the way the pitch played, looked confident and assured. By contrast, KKR’s bowlers looked at sea against a formidable opening unit.

Eoin Morgan won the toss and duly opted to field first. However, the decision clearly backfired as the CSK batsmen made the most of what were very favourable conditions.

The two batsmen started carefully, seeing out the first over from Varun Chakravarthy. However, they targetted Pat Cummins right from the get go.

Cummins was smacked for four by Du Plessis on his very first ball. Gaikwad then got a four and a six of his own in the same over.

The two brought up a 50-run stand in no time and looked in imperious touch. Even when Gaikwad departed, cameo knocks from Moeen Ali and Dhoni towards the end helped them get over the line.

Moeen was stumped off Sunil Narine’s bowling, whereas Dhoni was dismissed thanks to a stunning catch from Eoin Morgan, with Russell getting the wicket.